Heating device



H. ,5. COVELL HEATING DEVICE Feb. 14, 1939.

Filed Jan. 19, 1938 Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING DEVICE Application January 19, 1938, Serial No. 185,713

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an air tempering apparatus in heating and Ventilating systems, wherein air forced through a conduit may have heat imparted thereto. In my invention the amount of heat which the air receives may be controlled through an adjustment of the heat supplying member; and the area of said heat supplying member through which the air passes varied from a minimum of zero to a maximum oi the total area. of the heat supplying member, to thereby vary the amount of heat picked up by the air or imparted thereto. A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the character noted wherein the passage of air through the conduit is in a substantially straight line and is not varied and changed in direction or cut down in volume in any position of the heating member to which said member may be adjusted in the conduit. The full volume if the air will pass through the conduit in any and all positions of adjustment and irrespective of the extent that the heating member is projected into the conduit. The structure is very simple and practical, easy to operate and adjust and is one which lends itself readily to automatic control and adjustment in connection with the usual thermostatic control devices used to control mow tors in heating systems, which motors are stopped or started in accordance with predetermined room temperatures of those rooms to which the air from the conduit oi the system is delivered. Many other objects and purposes than those stated will appear and be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating an air conduit equipped in accordance with the heating system of my invention, and the mechanism located transversely of the conduit for adjusting the heat imparting member to diierent positions so that it projects in greater or less amounts into and across said conduit.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged transverse section substantially on the plane of line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Fig, 3 is a horizontal section on a plane be tween the upper and lower sides of Fig. 2.

Lilie reference characters refer to like parts in the different gures of the drawing,

The air conduit I in its length may be supplied With a casing 2 in which a motor driven fan 3 is mounted for forcing air through the conduit. Spaced from the casing 2 a distance in the direction that the air ows are opposed lateral guides 4 which may be of the same material as the conduit I and in which an open longitudinal frame 5 and a radiator 6 are mounted for sliding movement. The frame 5 has a vertical plate 'I therein with a large number of air passing openings through the plate. The radiator has a plurality of radiator tubes 8 shown as positioned vertically. The frame and radiator are located end to end and secured together so that they move as ay unit.

The radiator may be supplied with a heating 10 radiator 6 and are led over change direction 20- pulleys I3 as shown and Wound on a drum I4 which may be driven by motor I5. Turning the drum in one direction will pull the frame 5 and attached radiator to the left, (Fig. 2), and in the opposite direction will pull on the radiator to 25 move it and the attached frame 5 to the right. The motor may be controlled as to its running and the direction that it runs through any desired well-known and available automatic devices which are in common use.

It is evident that the entire cross sectional area of the conduit I may be lled by the frame 5 and the perforated plate 'I therein in which case the air forced through the conduit receives no heat. It is further evident that by moving the twoat- 35 tached parts, the frame 5 and the radiator 6, to the extreme position to the left (Fig. 2) the radiator will extend completely across the conduit I and all of the air that is forced through the conduit must pass through the radiator in which 40 case it will receive and have imparted thereto the maximum quantity of heat. All other intermediate positions between may be occupied by the two movable members, the frame 5 and the connested radiatorv 6, so that the quantity of heat 45 imparted to the air can be varied as desired from*` no heat at all to the maximum. It is further evident that in all positions of the adjustable frame 5 and connected radiator 6 that the directional now of the air is not changed. It follows 50 the same path lengthwise of the conduit I and is not reduced in volume, it -being understood that the effective area for passing air through the radiator is the same as the effective area of the holes in the plate I for such purpose.

Although the invention has been defined as a heating device, it is conceived that the same fundamental principle, or in fact the device having practically the same details of construction, may be used to control an air current by introducing a cool fluid into the radiator instead of a hot uid such as steam. This is merely an alternative use and it is intended that the appended claims shall cover the device whether used for heating or cooling.

The invention is of a very simple, practical and useful character. The heating medium used may be anything that is practically available. The practical embodiment shown in my invention fully illustrates the same and the principle upon which it operates. The invention, however, is not limited to the specific disclosure made, but is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope of the claims appended hereto which define the invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a conduit through which air is moved, an air passing heating unit guided for transverse adjustment across said conduit, a second air passing non-heating unit connected to and movable with the heating unit at one side thereof whereby said units may be adjusted across the conduit to subject the passing air therein to the eiect of the heating unit at any selected condition between a minimum of no heat imparted to the air to the maximum of the full flow of air through the heating unit, said non-heating uniit having the same eifective area of air passage as said heating unit, whereby the non-heating unit equalizes the air flow resistance in the conduit.

2. In a device of the class described, .a longitudinal conduit, means for moving air lengthwise of said conduit, guide means located transversely of the conduit and extending to opposite sides thereof, and two units of substantially equal size connected together side by side and movable transversely in said guide means to different positions across the conduit, one of said units being an air passing and heating unit and the other an air passing non-heating unit, each of said units having substantially the same effective air passing areas and each being large enough to alone completely interpose in the path of air through the conduit.

3. In a device of the class described, .a longitudinal conduit, means for moving air lengthwise of said conduit, an air passing heating unit mounted in operative association with the conduit whereby a whole or part of the air traversing said conduit may be made to pass through said heating unit, and a second air passing nonheating unit associated with the conduit and likewise adapted to have a whole or part of the air traversing the conduit pass therethrough, said non-heating unit having the same effective area of air passage as said heating unit, whereby the non-heating unit equalizes the air fiow resistance in the conduit.

4. In combination, an air conductor, means for moving an air stream through the conductor, a heat transfer device through which air may pass connected to a non-heat transfer device through which air may also pass in amounts equal to that passing through said heat transfer device, and means for moving said heat transfer device into said conductor in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow therein and in a manner to expose more or less of said heat transfer device to said air stream.

5. In combination, a heat transfer device having a predetermined porosity to permit air passage thethrough, a non-heat exchange device having a porosity substantially equal to that of said heat exchange device, means for directing an air current through both said heat exchange device .and said non-heat exchange device and means to vary the ratios of said current passing through said respective devices.

HAROLD S. COVELL. 

